emerging

about this time of year i start to walk around inspecting the ground for tiny little green shoots of hope... hope that the days are indeed getting longer and warmer and best of all -- greener. i love daffodils. i always have- for as long as i can remember. one of my most treasured memories is of a field of daffodils that i went to with my mother.... i was less than 5 years old and from my perspective the field went on forever and was covered in daffodils. we picked handfuls of them-- it was so magical!andrew and i have a tradition now of planting daffodils the first day we own a house... the closing date for our first home and for this one has been in the fall... so it works out well. it is a fun way to put our mark on a place and know that come spring we will be enjoying the sunny faces and fresh scent of daffodils.... and the best thing about them is they multiply every year- so you get increased benefits for your labor!

i was thrilled to walk up the bank in our backyard the other day... i was scanning the ground- not really expecting to see anything yet. but, there they were - the brave little shoots. now i have something to watch; every few days i can note how much taller they are and when the first buds appear. i will watch them as i watch weather.com for 70 degree sunny days. it's little things that help you get through the hard stuff... and for me the dark days of winter can be hard... but i've got my little green bits of hope now to watch!